1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display capable of reducing the size of an integrated circuit substrate and a tape carrier package.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, the liquid crystal display (LCD) is a representative flat panel display, and displays a picture corresponding to an image signal by adjusting the transmittance of light beam. More specifically, the utilization of LCDs continues to increase due to characteristics such as lightness, thinness, low power consumption, and so on. Accordingly, the LCD is used in office automation devices and the display device of notebook computers. Further, LCD research has been directed to wide screen, high definition, and low power consumption LCD displays in response to the needs of users.
Referring to FIG. 1, the LCD of a related art comprises a main support 44 of plastic material, a backlight unit stacked on the main support 44, a panel guide 50 installed in the main support 44, a liquid crystal panel 36 installed on the panel guide 50 and a case top 32 of metal material combined with the main support 44.
A reflective sheet 42, a light guide panel 40 and an optical sheet 38, which are included in the backlight unit, are sequentially stacked on the main support 44. To this end, the main support 44 has stepped parts and a plurality of screw grooves into which screws are inserted to secure the case top 32. The reflective sheet 42 reflects light from the backlight unit to the liquid crystal panel 36. The light guide panel 40 guides light from a lamp (not shown) to the liquid crystal panel 36. The optical sheets 38 take light incident at a slant angle from the surface of the reflective sheet 42 and directs the light in a vertical direction into the liquid crystal panel 36.
The panel guide 50 fits on the main support 44 in order to support the liquid crystal panel 36 in which the polarization plate 34 is attached to a rear and a front surface of the liquid crystal panel 36. Accordingly, the panel guide 50 supports the liquid crystal panel 36 and presses the optical sheets 38. The polarization plate 34 acts to enlarge the viewing angle of an image displayed by the liquid crystal panel 36.
The liquid crystal cells are arranged in a matrix between an upper and a lower glass substrates 33, 35 of the liquid crystal panel 36, and a thin film transistor for switching a video signal is formed in each of the liquid crystal cells. The liquid crystal panel 36 is installed on the panel guide 50 to display pictures corresponding to the video signal as the transmittance of each of the liquid crystal cells is changed in accordance with the video signal.
A tape carrier package 56 is attached on the lower substrate 35 TCP with a film and a driver integrated circuit for applying a driving signal to the thin film transistor.
The TCP 56 is mounted between a printed circuit board 54 for supplying the video signal and a data pad on the lower substrate 35 and is divided into a data TCP and a gate TCP. The data TCP has a data drive integrated circuit for supplying the video signal to data lines in response to a control signal from the printed circuit board 54. The gate TCP is mounted at the gate pad on the lower substrate 35 and has a gate drive integrated circuit for supplying a gate signal to the gate lines in response to the control signal from the printed circuit board 54.
The gate drive integrated circuit and a circuit component such as a timing controller (not shown) for controlling the data drive integrated circuit are mounted on the printed circuit board 54. The printed circuit board 54 is connected to the liquid crystal panel 36 through the TCP 56.
The printed circuit board 54 and the TCP 56 are folded in a manner enclosing a rear side of the main support 44, as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, and is located at the rear side of the main support 44. Accordingly, the data drive integrated circuit 58 mounted on the TCP is located at the side of the main support 44.
The case top 32 is bent to cover an edge of the liquid crystal panel 36, to thereby enclose the edge of the sides of the surface of the liquid crystal panel 36 as well as the side of the main support 44 on which the backlight unit including the reflective sheet 42, the light guide panel 40, the optical sheets 38, and the liquid crystal panel 36 are sequentially stacked. The case top 32 covers the main support 44 and securely fixes the backlight unit. The case top 32 covers the edge of the liquid crystal panel 36 to protect the liquid crystal panel from an external impact.
In the LCD of the related art having the structure described above, because the printed circuit board 54 is located at the rear surface of the main support 44, the length of the TCP 56 is elongated to cover the pad portion of a front liquid crystal panel 36. As a result, in the LCD device of the related art, the printed circuit board 54 should be located at the rear surface. The length of the printed circuit board 54 is inevitably elongated because the respective TCPs 56 are connected by way of the printed circuit board 54 and a controller should be installed on the printed circuit board 54.